Getty Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks might be a candidate to trade for quarterback Ryan Tannehill during the 2022 season.
It has been an offseason of constant trade rumors for the Seattle Seahawks. Though it appears increasingly unlikely that general manager John Schneider makes a trade for a quarterback before the season begins, the team may keep an eye on one particular quarterback before the midseason trade deadline.
Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans could become available depending on his team’s fortunes, according to a May 21 story by SI.com’s Ty Dane Gonzalez, who reviewed the Seahawks’ options for trade at quarterback.
Gonzalez wrote that he didn’t expect a trade for Tannehill to be imminent, but that could change quickly if the Titans don’t appear to be a contender in the first half of the season.
“Needless to say, if Tannehill takes issue with the organization he helped lead to the AFC’s No. 1 seed just a handful of months ago, he certainly has a good argument to [be traded],” Gonzalez said. “For now, at least, that doesn’t appear to be where this is headed. But it’s something for the Seahawks to potentially monitor.”
Could Ryan Tannehill’s Time in Tennessee Be Ending?
Since reviving his career in Tennessee after six seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill has led the Titans to a 30-13 regular season record over the past three years.
However, things haven’t gone nearly as well in the playoffs. Tannehill, who will be 34 when the 2022 season starts, has gone 2-3 in the postseason with the Titans but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019. His performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 divisional round was especially brutal, throwing three interceptions and costing his team a trip to the AFC Conference Championship despite the Titans entering the postseason as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
In his first season with the Titans, he made his first Pro Bowl, led the league in passer rating and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He’s been outstanding in the regular season for Tennessee, throwing for 10,295 yards and 76 touchdowns against just 27 interceptions in three seasons with the team.
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The lack of playoff success despite all of the talent around him the past couple of years has fans understandably upset. The Titans may also be planning for life after Tannehill given some of their recent moves.
The Titans Have a Succession Plan in Place
The Titans are expected to roll with Tannehill as the starter heading into 2022, but the franchise has a backup plan in place now just in case things go horribly wrong.
Tennessee drafted quarterback Malik Willis out of Liberty in the third round of this year’s draft after most projections had him getting selected in the first round. Gifted as both a passer and runner, his throwing mechanics and accuracy are his weaknesses, according to some analyses.
Willis can develop as a backup. However, if the relationship between Tennessee and Tannehill begins to sour, the Titans could turn to Willis and see if he was worth the investment in a third-round pick.
It could be hard for the Titans to ship off Tannehill, who is in the middle of a four-year, $118 million contract, with an out for the team after the 2022 season.